1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to ionizing blowers.
2. Background Art
Static charge neutralizers are designed to remove or minimize static charge accumulation. Static charge neutralizers remove static charge by generating air ions and delivering those ions to a charged target.
One specific category of static charge neutralizers is the ionizing blower. An ionizing blower normally generates air ions with a corona electrode, and uses a fan (or fans) to direct air ions toward the target of interest.
Monitoring or controlling the performance of a blower utilizes two measurements.
The first measurement is balance. Ideal balance occurs when the number of positive air ions equals the number of negative air ions. On a charge plate monitor, the ideal reading is zero. In practice, the static neutralizer is controlled within a small range around zero. For example, a static neutralizer's balance might be specified as approximately .+−.0.2 volts.
The second measurement is air ion current. Higher air ion currents are useful because static charges can be discharged in a shorter time period. Higher air ion currents correlate with low discharge times that are measured with a charge plate monitor.